THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS!

May 10th, 2017

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS!
I didn’t want to wait any longer to report on our trip to Vancouver for my brother Pete’s funeral on April 29. We arrived a few days ahead and were joined by our daughter Tammi and son Greg. Weather for the week we were there was predicted to be overcast, cold and probable showers. It turned out to be cool but partly sunny almost every day.
The 29th was overcast with predicted rain. For the internment at the cemetery it was cool and heavily overcast. That service went well – I read from Isaiah 61, especially verse 3, focusing on and describing Pete’s life as having been an “oak of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” Then, just as this outdoor service ended it started to sprinkle, and by the time we got to the church for the memorial service it was raining hard.
The music was inspiring and the eulogies by his three children and two of his twelve grandchildren were precious. Pete wanted me to preach the Gospel which I did along with a few reflections on our relationship as brothers. One young lady responded by standing as an indication of wanting to be remembered in my closing prayer. What a blessing to see Pete’s impact as a result of a life well lived. It was an honor for us and great to spend time in many different settings with family and friends.
A week later I had the privilege of officiating at the funeral of a lady who came to Christ over 20 years ago and whom I baptized. At the close of that service one of her grandsons, a year out of High School came up to me and shared his desire for help to understand the Christian faith. I had taken a tract along for just such a situation and gave him information so he could call me if he wanted further help. On our flights Mur and I had 4 different opportunities to share literature and the Gospel with fellow travelers.
I would encourage you to keep praying that what was shared, the seed sown, might bear much fruit in the lives touched during these days.
Right after I got home I looked out at the wilderness that was supposed to look like our lawn. So in the rain I tackled cutting the lawn to make our place look somewhat presentable! Dr. A.W. Tozer, in one of his books wrote about “The Law of the Wilderness.” Like the lawn, our lives, if not cultivated and cared for, will turn into a wilderness. So as Paul encouraged us in 1st Corinthians 15, the great resurrection chapter, be vigilant, thank God for Christ’s victory, “stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”